Kind Faces, Cold Hearts
by xxEyeofthetigerxx
Summary: In the darkness of a dense forest, far beyond mountains and beautiful woodland, lives a Clan. A Clan so new, opportunities for so much destiny. IvyClan has been born, and little does the Clan know, there are many possibilities for danger in this world... Another Clan is near their territory, and is not happy about their sudden appearance.. *Rated K for cat violence/fighting*
1. Kind Faces, Cold Hearts - Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**IvyClan**

**Leader – Ivystar – ruddy brown tabby tom with blue-violet eyes**

**Deputy – Rosetail – calico she-cat with gray-blue eyes**

**Medicine Cat – Snailwhisker – brown tabby tom with blue-green eyes**

**Warriors**

Firbranch – brown tabby tom with blue eyes Apprentice, Magpiepaw

Burrpelt – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Minkear - dilute torbie calico with gray eyes Apprentice, Deerpaw

Runningsong – silver fawn tabby she-cat with blue eyes Apprentice, Sweetpaw

Marshfur – golden tabby tom with blue eyes

Falconeyes – vivid brown tabby tom with bronze eyes; has a long scar running from his left cheek to his left paw Apprentice, Condorpaw

Cloverface – cream cameo she-cat with hazel eyes

Flowerstride – golden tom with blue eyes

Shortcloud – golden tabby tom with sea-green eyes

Coalfeather – fawn tabby she-cat with gray violet eyes; her tail is half-missing and her right ear is shredded

**Apprentices**

Magpiepaw – brown tabby she-cat with gold eyes

Deerpaw – red tabby tom with blue eyes

Sweetpaw – lilac tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Condorpaw – sturdy, large, dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Queens**

Cougarstripe – light cinnamon she-cat with green-yellow eyes

**Elders**

Nutfoot – feeble dusty brown tom with green eyes; was a rogue when he met young Ivy as a kit (Ivystar in the end) and helped shape the Clan to last

**BoulderClan**

**Leader - Muddystar – old cinnamon tabby she-cat with gold eyes**

**Deputy – Asterprint – brown tabby tom with blue eyes**

**Medicine Cat – Heronfeather – cream tabby she-cat with hazel eyes Apprentice, Clearpaw**

**Warriors**

Hailfrost – smoky-blue tom with white patches and hazel eyes

Silkfur – red tabby she-cat with white patches and vivid blue eyes

Robinclaw – brown tabby tom with green-yellow eyes and white paws

Lizardface – chinchilla silver she-cat with green eyes and a torn left ear

Leafear – soft brown tom with yellow eyes

Creekfleck – sturdy ruddy-brown tom with deep blue eyes; both his ears are shredded and he has a long scar running down his back Apprentice, Rattlepaw

Servalfang – dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes Apprentice, Volepaw

Drizzlefang – cinnamon tom with olive-green eyes Apprentice, Rootpaw

Wrenpelt – dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Aridspeck – cinnamon she-cat with blue eyes

Whitespot – blue-gray she-cat with gray eyes and a white spot covering her left eye

Quilltail – cinnamon and white she-cat with gold eyes

**Apprentices**

Rattlepaw – brown tabby tom with hazel eyes

Volepaw – red tabby she-cat with green eyes

Rootpaw – lilac lynx point tom with blue eyes

**Queens**

Damptail – lilac she-cat with hazel-green eyes

Shadespot – lilac tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Kestrelspark – red tabby she-cat with white spots and green eyes

**Elders**

Chipmunkface – annoyed-looking brown tom with green eyes

Birdflight – gray she-cat with blue eyes


	2. Kind Faces, Cold Hearts - Chapter One

A mouse crept along the sturdy soil. A pair of lilac tortoiseshell paws, a flash of bright blue eyes. So close…

"Sweetpaw! Dawn patrol!" Called Deerpaw from the other side of the apprentice den.

"Shut up, furball, I'm coming!" Sweetpaw grunted, opening her eyes as she shifted herself up in her nest. The warm scent of mouse still lingered in her nostrils. She let out a huff as Deerpaw called again, smirking.

"Better get your lazy rear end up, or Runningsong will beat the bees right out of your brain!" Magpiepaw taunted.

Life was good as an apprentice, although her denmates weren't exactly her friends…

"Condorpaw and Falconeyes are already waiting." Flowerstride, a grim golden tom mewed solemnly at the entrance.

Sweetpaw let out a huff as she pushed herself out of her nest, managing to finish grooming the few stray hairs that stuck up from her chest fur. She stepped into the bright sunlight, flinching.

"It's a fairly large patrol today!" Condorpaw bounced up to her. "Rosetail says there was intruder scent the other day!" He was large for his age, although he was only one moon older than her. For a moment she was lost in his dark green eyes and she could swear he was lost in hers—

"Sweetpaw, Condorpaw, let's go," Falconeyes mewed gruffly, his dark bronze eyes glinting with annoyance. Sweetpaw hurried past Condorpaw, her pelt burning with embarrassment. Falconeyes was a scary cat. Sweetpaw was quick not to defy him, in case of quick, sharp words that would pierce her ears. He was known for giving insults.

Falconeyes was a senior warrior, and had a long scar running from his left cheek to his left paw. The only elder, Nutfoot, had told her that it was from when he and Ivystar had a battle over who was to be leader. Falconeyes, then, had been just a rogue. That's all the Clan was really made up of. The cats that lived in IvyClan now had all been rogues or loners, except for the apprentices, who had been born shortly after. The cats in the dense forest had all been fed up with arguing over territory, so they decided to join together. Falconeyes, who was just Falcon then, and Ivystar, who was just Ivy then, had fought a battle to determine who was to be the leader. As predicted by most cats, Ivystar had one, though Ivystar still respected Falconeyes greatly, and Falconeyes was not fazed by the loss. However, Falconeyes became envious of the deputy chosen instead of him – Rosetail.

"Sweetpaw, you, Flowerstride, and Runningsong will to the Northern border. Hunt for any prey you can find along the way." Falconeyes' gruff mew jolted her from her thoughts.

"Y-yes, Falconeyes," she answered, dipping her head as Falconeyes, Condorpaw, Deerpaw, and Magpiepaw padded away to check the Southern border.

"There was intruder scent found at this border yesterday," Flowerstride mewed.

The scent was very musty, like the scent of the dusty pebbles that lined the shore of the river that bordered half their territory. There was also a hint of fish. Sweetpaw crinkled her nose.

"Yuck!" She mewed.

Runningsong spoke up grimly, "This may be a warning. It's definitely cat scent, and it smells like they marked our border. We should report to Falconeyes and the others. Ivystar needs to know about this."

Sweetpaw nodded.

"Wait!" Flowerstride mewed frantically. "That scent is _not _recent, it's present!"

Everything went by fast after that as Sweetpaw noticed the scent of at least ten cats, all smelling dusty, of stones and river.

Then she felt the sharp pinprick in her neck, the teeth sink into her ankle, and her head crashing hard into a rock. Everything went black…


	3. Kind Faces, Cold Hearts - Chapter Two

The first thing Sweetpaw noticed was pain in the back of her head, and then the sweet, gentle voice of Condorpaw.

"Will she be okay?" Was his frantic mew.

"It's hard to say. She may have a concussion," Snailwhisker's small voice answered his. Sweetpaw's eyes opened.

"What-" she began to say.

"Sweetpaw, you're awake!" Condorpaw was covered in cobwebs, and his eyes looked a little weary, but still excited.

"What happened?" she asked.

Condorpaw was silent for a moment as he exchanged glances with Snailwhisker. Suddenly, Ivystar's booming voice rang out.

"All cats of the Clan, please report below the Highlimb for an important meeting!" Ivystar mewed.

"Speaking of which..." Snailwhisker trailed off.

"I'll help you up. Whatever it is, it's probably important." Condorpaw mewed, nudging her up.

She noticed a new pain in her left back ankle and winced as she stood and realized the reeds binding it. She limped out into the clearing, tunnel vision almost blackening her sight.

Ivystar looked solemn, a glint of horror and sadness in his eyes. "As some of you may know, our patrol got attacked," he hesitated, "Runningsong was killed, Flowerstride is most likely wounded beyond our fixing, and Condorpaw and Sweetpaw are badly injured."

Ivystar's words rang in her mind. _What? My mentor! She was killed?_ Sweetpaw tried to hide her shock, but failed as a small wail escaped her lips along with the rest of the Clan. Grief settled over them all. Runningsong was greatly respected, and like a mother to Sweetpaw.

And she was gone, so suddenly…

"It appears that there is another Clan of cats beyond our borders, and from my inferences, they were angry for us being near them, so they attacked our patrol. I am arranging a battle to make sure they don't think we are weakened." Ivystar growled.

"But Ivystar, isn't that not wise?" Falconeyes' voice rang out.

"Oh, it is wise. If we continue to let them attack our patrols, soon enough we will die out." Ivystar answered. "Meeting dismissed."

"It's a miracle you weren't killed," Falconeyes grunted.

It was almost a moon after the attack, and the ambush on the other Clan was coming up in two moonrises. The battle was to take place on the full moon.

Sweetpaw was still in shock.

_Runningsong, dead?_

That morning she had gotten up and out of the apprentice den, calling for Runningsong, eagerly awaiting her patrol, but sadly mistaken as she remembered her beloved mentor's death.

Falconeyes was assigned to train Sweetpaw along with Condorpaw, since no other warrior at the time was in shape to train an apprentice.

Flowerstride had fought infection with all he could, every last bit of energy he had, but shortly after the attack, a few sunrises later, he had died. The Clan was shocked, and still, in this moment, was in turmoil. What could possibly be worse?

"Hey, Sweetpaw," Condorpaw padded up to her. The way he said her name… His green eyes sunk into hers, melting her heart. She loved him dearly. But lately he had been spending more time with Magpiepaw…

"Hey, you two, I have something to tell you," Rosetail, the deputy, padded up to them. "Ivystar is arranging for your ceremonies tomorrow, as well as Deerpaw's and Magpiepaw's. You'll all be serving vigil together," she mewed.

"Awesome!" Condorpaw exclaimed.

"However, you still act like an apprentice, I'm not impressed," Rosetail mewed, smirking, a glint of humor in her eyes as she turned and padded away.

"Well, better get to the moss duties. We'll still be serving them until new apprentices reach the nursery! Good thing Cougarstripe's kits are just a moon away from becoming apprentices!" Condorpaw mewed, and began to pad off.

"Condorpaw, wait.." Sweetpaw mewed. Condorpaw mewed. Sweetpaw thought she saw a glint of hope in his eyes.

"I-I'll do it with you," she mewed, her heart sinking.

"Oh, okay," Condorpaw mewed, waiting for her to catch up.

_Oh, StarClan, I can't be falling in love with him! I have Clan duties…_


	4. Kind Faces, Cold Hearts - Chapter Three

The next few days came quickly. The four now experienced apprentices were named warriors: Condorwing, Magpiefeather, Deerpounce, and Sweetfang. The battle was yet to come, that night. The night after four long, tired, and anxious vigils.

"All cats in IvyClan, please settle under the Highlimb for an important meeting," Ivystar mewed loudly. All cats poked their heads out of their dens.

Sweetfang padded outside, settling down beside Falconeyes.

"I have decided to postpone the battle," Ivystar said solemnly. There were gasps from the Clan, all with shocked expressions.

"Another patrol of ours was attacked by five cats. Shortcloud, Coalfeather, and Marshfur all have bad wounds, and must stay in the medicine den. Because of this, I rather send a spy."

There were murmurs from the crowd of cats.

"I have discussed this with Rosetail, and I have decided to elect new warrior Sweetfang as the spy."

Sweetfang opened her jaws, unable to speak.

"But that's dangerous!" She heard Magpiefeather's mew from the back of the crowd.

"No. Sweetfang is the youngest warrior, and will be able to pose as a young battle-experienced rogue. We can't risk losing a kit in this spy mission. Sweetfang will meet Rosetail and Falconeyes on the border every night until the half moon." Ivystar contined. "Meeting dismissed."

"But, that's so quick! I don't even get a say in it?" Sweetfang asked urgently.

"I'm afraid not, Sweetfang," Falconeyes growled as he nudged her forward, Rosetail padding alone beside him.

The Clan was in turmoil as Falconeyes and Rosetail began to lead Sweetfang away.

"Wait!" Condorwing mewed after her.

Sweetfang turned, trying to look brave.

"I-I.. Be careful," Condorwing nodded to her. Sweetfang dipped her head.

"So, you're going to have a new name, obviously," Rosetail started as the three solemn-looking cats padded closer and closer to the border.

"I'm too scared," Sweetfang whispered quietly.

"You'll be fine," Falconeyes huffed, "You're serving your Clan."

"I know."

The group stopped at the border, which smelled freshly-marked.

"Roll in mud or ferns before you step inside their camp. It'll hide IvyClan scent," Rosetail mewed.

"Good luck," Falconeyes mewed.

So it was just like that, quick. Quick dismissal, hardly any time to say goodbye to her clanmates…

Sweetfang padded across the border, hesitantly.

_I had no say in this! Who does Ivystar think he is?_

_The leader, idiot._

She rolled in some ferns and moss that were growing near a tree and set off.

Sure enough, she heard the mews of Clan-life, and hurried forward.

She paused. There were pawsteps. In her direction.

"Intruder!" A loud hiss interrupted her thoughts and she was slammed to the ground.

She opened her eyes to see brown tabby tom, his teeth bared, hazel eyes flashing. He was small, but not too smaller than her. She let out a growl, twisting quickly on her back and lashing out her back legs, kicking him off and sending him stumbling to the ground, dazed.

The tom looked confused and shook his head. "The rest of the patrol is coming! You'll see, rogue!" He hissed.

"Who are you?" Sweetfang hissed in annoyance.

"Can I ask you the same question?" Another voice mewed calmly. Sweetfang turned to see a sturdy, ruddy-brown tom standing in front of her.

"Err.." Sweetfang thought for a moment. "I-I'm Lily. I'm a rogue around these parts. I was looking for a… place to stay," she stammered, wondering if the handsome tom would buy her lies.

"First of all, welcome. This is BoulderClan, and second of all, we either need to chase you out, or you can come see our leader, Muddystar," the tom mewed again, calmly.

The apprentice-sized tom that had attacked her earlier let out a quiet snarl.

The ruddy tom ignored the apprentice and continued on, "I'm Creekfleck, and that's Rattlepaw. He's pretty hostile." He lashed his tail.

"Yeah, I noticed." Sweetfang shot a glance at Rattlepaw, and followed Creekfleck through the forest and large mountains on either side, though far away.

When they reached the entrance, Rattlepaw padded away, his ears pricked in annoyance.

Creekfleck bounded over to a brown tabby tom. "Asterprint, it seems there's a rogue in our territory that's willing to join our Clan."

The tom, Asterprint, turned, glancing at Sweetfang.

"Follow me," he huffed, dismissing two cats in front of him that had apparently been speaking to him at the time.

Sweetfang put on a brave face, but underneath trembling like a mouse awaiting being caught.

Asterprint leaped on a large rock with a cave inside it.

"Muddystar?" He called.

"Yes?" An old-looking cinnamon tabby she-cat padded outside, glaring at them.

"This rogue-" Asterprint started.

"Lily. Her name is Lily," Creekfleck interrupted.

Asterprint nodded. "Er.. Lily.. is a rogue who wants to join our Clan," he mewed.

"Hmm." Muddystar mewed. "We could use warriors. Some of us are wounded from trying to fight off that other Clan in our territory," she growled.

_Whoah. So they think we're the ones attacking them? _Sweetfang thought.

"Your name is Lily, eh? Well. We'll call you Lilypaw," Muddystar mewed, hopping onto the boulder.

_She thinks I'm apprentice aged? I'm a warrior!_

"Let all cats in BoulderClan gather beneath the Meeting Boulder for an announcement." Muddystar's voice was loud and booming as the cats of the Clan snaked out of their dens to listen, some looking confused and noticing Sweetfang, others unaware of her.

"There is a rogue willing to join our Clan!" Muddystar started. Anxious murmurs erupted from the clearing below the boulder as she cleared her throat.

"This is Lily. We're going to call her Lilypaw. Since she looks older than six moons, I will not do her ceremony. I will just elect a mentor," she contined on, "I am going to mentor her. Meeting dismissed."

Sweetfang – now Lilypaw – anxiously shuffled her paws.

"Come with me, Lilypaw," Muddystar mewed, padding inside the cave that perched on top of the boulder.


End file.
